William hadden



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

w. HADDEN. V 1 RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

No; 273,517. Patented Mar;6,1883.

Wit uesses, A I

Inventor. IVzllliam Hwdden.

\flttys.

N. PEIERS. Phnwmho npher. Washington. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. HADDEN.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS. No. 273,517. Patented Mar.6,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC I WILLIAM HADDEN, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TOTHE AMERICAN RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,517, dated March 6,1883.

Application filed May 1, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WiLLIAM HADDEN, ofBrooklyn, Kings county,- State of New York, have invented an Improvementin Railway Signal Apparatus, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification;

My invention relates to a railway signal apparatus of that class inwhich the signals are normally retained in the safety position by theattraction of an electro-magnet, and moved to the danger position by theaction of gravity or other retracting force when the said magnet isdemagnetized, as by a circuit-breaker 1 operated by a train entering theblock-section guarded by the signal, the said circuit-breaker beingnormally closed except while the train is acting upon it.

The, present invention consists in the combination, with thesignal-actuating magnet, of an electric switch or relay operated by theopening of the circuit when the train passes, as just described, tointroduce resist ance in the line, and thus reduce the powerof 2 thesignal-actuating magnet, so that'it will not be able to move the signalback to its safety position after the train has ceased to act on thecircuit-breaker, the signal being thus permitted to remain in the dangerposition while the train traverses the section. As herein shown, theelectric switch employed for thus introducing theresistance is the arma'ture of a polarized relay, it being held by the normal current, when thesignal is at safety,

in the position to close a direct circuit not containing the resistance;and the invention further consists in the combination, with thesignal-actuating electro-magnet, or other magnet in circuit therewith,of a pole-changing 4Q device operated by the armature thereof to reversethe polarity of the current when the said armature is retracted, thesaid reversed current acting upon the polarized relay to cause it tointroduce the resistance, and thus 4 5 prevent the attraction of thearmature by which the pole-changin g device was operated.

The invention further consists in the com bination, with thesignal-actuating magnet and the electric switch'in circuit therewith andresistance controlled by the said switch,

of tn-independent branch circuit between the said resistance and theactuating-magnet, with its battery, and a circuit closer in the saidbranch circuit, by which the said battery is caused to act on a magnetwithout the resistance, and consequently with sufficient power toattract the armature, thus restoring all parts to their normalcondition.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating this invention; Fig. 2, a detailshowing the pole- 6o changing device employed on a larger scale; andFig. 3, a front elevation of the signal-actuating magnet and lever andthe pole-changing device and their circuit connections on a larger scalethan in Fig. 1. 6

The signal apparatus S comprises the signal a, consisting of the usualcolored banner or disk supported on an arm, I), pivoted at 2 in afulcrumpiece, c, adjustably connected with the frame-work by the screwor clamp 61, the said arm I) being connected by a link, 6, with anarmature-lever, f, pivoted at 3 in an adjustable pivot-piece, g, mountedon framework. The said lever f carries the armature h of thesignal-actuating magnet M, and is overbalauced by the weight of thesignal a, which thus operates as a retractor for the armature h,removing it from the poles of the magnet when thelatter is demagnetized.The said armature-leverf,in its movements to and So from the poles ofits magnet, operates a polechanging deviceto reverse the connection ofthe poles of the battery with the line external thereto. The saidpole-changing device consists in this instance of two levers, tj, piv- 8oted-to move simultaneously, the said levers being composed ofelectrically-conductive material, insulated from one another, andconnected with the two ends of the main-line circuit that are to bethereby connected with the go poles of the battery or source ofelectrical energy. The said levers ij are connected by a link, It, withthe armature-leverf, so as to be rocked from the full to the dotted lineposition, Fig.2, as the armature his retracted from the poles of themagnet. The said levers H are provided with contact-points l in and n 0,respectively, at their opposite ends, those at one pair of adjacent endsof the two lovers, as m- 0, being adapted to dip into mercury in thecups 1) I when the levers ij are in their normal position, shownin fulllines, Fig. 2, the signal being at safety, and the ones I nat the otherends of the said levers dipping into the mercury in the cups q s'whenthe said levers are in the dotted-line position, Fig. 2, and the signala at danger, one of the said pairs of contact-points being removed fromthe mercury in the corresponding cups just after the other pair entersit in the other pair of cups. The cups 1') r are connected with theopposite poles of the battery--for example, the former with the positiveand the latter with the negative pole-so that when the levers 'ij are intheir full-line or normal position the lever 41 and end of the lineconnected therewith receives the positive, and the lever j and other endof the line connected therewith receives the negative electricity fromthe battery. The cups q s, at the other end of the levers t j, arerespectively connected with the opposite poles of the battery to theones 12 r, so that when the levers t'j are in the dottedliue positionthey will be in electrical connection with the opposite poles,respectively, to what they were when in the full-line position,

,and the current will traverse the line in the opposite direction.

The main circuit is as follows: Starting from one pole of the mainbattery B (as, for example, the one marked it passes by wires 12 13 tothe mercury in the cups 1) and s, and when the signal is in its normalor safety position the latter is insulated, and the circuit is continuedfrom the former cup, 1), to the lever i, and thence by wire 14 to themagnet M, and thence by wire 15, which constitutes the main line, to theother end of the section, where it passes through the coils of apolarized relay, R, fromwhich it is continued by awire, 16, to thearmature-lever t of the said relay, and by a wire, 17, to theresistance-coils u, and thence to the ground at E. The armature-lever tof the relay E has acontact-pointconnected with a wire, 18, leading tothe ground at E, so that when the said armature is in the position shownin full lines the current has a direct path from the main-line wire 15through the wire 16, armature t, and wire 18, to the ground, and is notweakened by being obliged to traverse the resistance'u This, is thenormal position of the armature of the relay R under the action of thecurrent which traverses the line when the pole-changer, operated by thearmature-leverf, is in its normal position, the signal a being atsafety. The other pole of the battery B is connected by wires 20 21 withthe cups r g, respectively, and when the levers 2' are in the normalposition the said pole of the battery connected with the cup 1' has itscircuit continued through the contactpiece 0 and lever j to theline-wire 22 .on the opposite side from the line-wire 15, the said wire22 being connected with the ground E, from which the circuit iscompleted through the ground to E; or, if desired, a wire may beemployed, instead of the ground-connections at E E, when a whollymetallic circuit is desired.

As herein shown, the apparatus is arranged to operate in connection witha single-track railway over which trains pass in both directions.Another signal apparatus, S, similar to the one already described, withthe omission of the pole-changing device, is placed at the other end ofthe section,its actuating-magnet M being included in the line-wire 15,and it will be seen that as many actuating-magnets as may be desired maybe included in the said line-wire, the entire series of signals beingoperated simultaneously by the changes in condition in the said circuit.

The main-line circuit is provided near either end of the section withcircuit-breakers 1) b which are normally closed, but are opened by thetrain entering the section from either end, they being of any convenientconstruction, numerous instruments for this purpose having beenheretofore used. When one of the said circuit-breakers is opened-as bythe entrance of a train into the section-the magnets M M aredemagnetized and the signals drop by the action of gravity into thedanger position. In this movement the position of the polechanger ischanged to that shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, the negative pole of thebattery being now connected by the wire 21, contactpiece 1, and lever iwith the line 15, and the positive pole being connected by the wire 13,contact-piece n, and lever j with the wire 22, so that the current nowtraverses the line in the opposite direction to that in which it didbefore the circuit-breaker was opened, thus causing a movement of thearmature t of the polarized relay R out of contact with the conductor18, so that the current is now compelled to pass by wire 17 through theresistance u, and is so weakened by the said resistance as to beinsufficient, in acting on the magnets M M, to move their armatures andrestore the signals to safety position after the circuit is closed bythe passage of the train beyond the circuit-closer b or b. The signalsare restored to their safety position by means of branch circuitsbetween the battery B, with the magnet M, by which the polechanger isoperated, and the resistance it.

In the arrangement shown for single track there are two of these branchcircuits, 25 and- 26, one at each end of the section, connecting theline-wire 15 at a point between the resistance u on one side and thebattery B, with the magnet M, by which the pole-changer is aetnated, onthe other side, with the earth at E or E, or with the wire 22 or 17,forming the circuit to the other pole of the battery. The said wires 25and 26 are provided with normally-open circuit-closers c 0, located soas to be operated after the corresponding circuit-breakers, b b, at thesame end of the section by a train leaving the section, but before thecircuit-breakers by a train entering the section.

In operation, when a train enters the sec- IIO tion with the signals intheir normal or safety position, it will first operate one of thecircuit-closers, as c, producing no efiect on the signals, and after-ithas passed the said circuit-closer it will open the circuit-breaker 1),setting the signals to danger, as before described, they, beingthereafter retained in the danger position by the interposition of theresistance a in the circuit while the train traverses the section, andin passing off it will first operate the circuit-breaker b producing noefi'ect on the signals, and then, in its further movement, it will closethe circuit-closer 0 thus completing the circuit from E by wires 22 and13, battery B, wires 21 and 14, magnetM, and wires 15 and 26, to theground at E, so that the battery acts upon the said magnet M with itsfull power, attracting the armature thereof, restoring the signal to thesafety position and restoring the polechanger to its normal position, sothat the current is reversed, and the small portion of'it which passesthrough the coils of the relay R, wire 17, and resistance a issufficient to restore the armature tof the said relay to its normalposition in connection with the wire 18, thus removing the resistance afrom the circuit, or, more properly speaking, providing an additionalcircuit without the said resistance, so that the battery acts with itsfull force to retain the signal in its safety position. It may be thatthe relay R will not be affected by the portion of current passingthrough branch 17 a while the branch 26 is closed; but the moment thelatter is opened the said relay will be affected, closing the branch 18before the armature of the magnet M is moved sufficiently to againreverse the pole-changer.

When desired the signals can be operated otherwise than by the passageof the train'by other circuit-controlling instruments operated by handor operatively connected with the mechanism by which the rails of aswitch or the bolt or other movable portion of a drawbridge is operated.Such a circuit-controlling instrument is shown at d, it consisting of anelectric switch forming a portion of the mainline circuit, it beingconnected at one end with the wire 15, and removable to and from ananvil, 6, connected with the other portion of the wire 15. When it ismoved off from the said anvil e, as shown in dotted lines,it opens thecircuit, and thus demagnetizes the signal-operating magnets and permitsthe signals to be moved to the danger position; but it does notnecessarily affect the relay R or introduce the resistance a into theline, as it is not necessary to close thefcircuit until it is desired torestore the signals to safety.

In closing the circuititis necessary that the polechanger should berestored to its normal position before the current passes through therelay It, in order to prevent the latter from introducing the resistancea. This is accomplished by means of the anvil-piece f, con nected bywire 27 with the ground E or returnwire between the wires 22 and 17, ifone be employed, so that in the return movement of the electric switch(1 from its dotted to its full line position, Fig. 1, it will close acircuit including the batteryB and magnet M before it arrives at theanvil e and closes the main circuit, and consequently the pole-changerwill be restored to its normal position before the main line is closedand the relay R affected by the current therethrough.

It is obvious that a separate magnetincluded in the main circuit mightbe employed to control the movement of the pole-changer, instead ofemploying the magnets by which one of the signals is actuated, it beingnecessary only that the armature by which the pole-changer is operatedshould remain retracted when the line is open or the resistance a isincluded therein and attracted at other times.

It is also true that the pole-changer may be omitted and the relay Ritself operated by the opening of the circuit and closure of a branchcircuit, such arrangement not being, however, herein specificallyillustrated or claimed, as it will form the subject of a separateapplication.

The relay R, herein shown, 'may have retractive force applied to itsarmature t, tending to remove it from connection with the wire 18 whenthe circuit is opened, the said armature being retained in such positionby'the reversal of the current caused by the pole-changer, and restoredto the position in connection with the said wire by the normal current,which 7 should be suflicient to overcome the said retractor, evenwhenacting through the resistance a.

When a hand-operated circuit-closer, as the one 61', is employed, therewill usually be a signal apparatus used in connection. with it, as at Sit being operated by a magnet in the main circuit to indicate thecondition of the section.

Such a signal may be of small size, as it is not to be viewed by theengineer ot'a passing train.

When the apparatusis to be used on a doubletrack railway, where thetrains pass over each track in one direction onlyas' from the signal Stoward the relay R in Fig. 1the branch 25, with its circuit-closer a,may be omitted, as well as the circuit-breaker I) at the other end ofthe section, the signai S being retained or omitted, as may be deemedexpedient.

I claim- 1. In a railway signal apparatus, the signalactuating magnet ina normally-closed circuit, combined with a circuit-breaker and relay orcircuit-changing magnet in the said circuit, and resistance interposedand retained therein by thesaid relay when the said circuit is brokenand subsequently closed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The signal-operating elect-ro-magnet and relay, combined with branchcircuits from the said signal-operating magnet of diiferent resistance,closed respectively by the armature of the said relay when in itsdifferent positions, substantially as described.

3. The signal-actuating magnet, the relay, the pole changer is reversedby the demagnetiand the resistance interposed in the circuitofthe saidmagnet by the said relay, combined with an independent circuit andcloser, including the said signal-actuating magnet and battery withoutthe said resistance, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. .Theelectro-magnet and pole-changer controlled by it, combined withthe polarized relay and resistance controlled by it in accordance Withthe condition of the said pole-changer and its controlling-magnet,substantially as described.

5. The electro-magnet and pole-changer controlled thereby, and thepolarized relay controlled by the said pole-changer, combined withresistance interposed by the said relay when zation of itscontrolling-magnet, and an independent branch circuit and circuit-closerbetween the said magnet, with its battery, and the resistance wherebythe magnet is caused to attract its armature, and thus cause thepole-changer and polarized relay to be restored to theirnormal'condition and the resistance removed from the circuit,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two sub scribing witnesses.

WILLIAM HADDEN.

Witnesses:

J 0s. P. LIVERMORE, W. H. SIGSTON.

